Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-05
TALE OF A DEAD HERO.


leader The writer had just finished ,
pleasant consultation with Grady's trav
cling companion and colleague, Governor
John B. Gordon, about that last forlorr
hope Of the south. that daring, iashinl
sortie Gordon made at Petersburg in
March, 1865. had the honor TO assist IL
Checkmating that bold movement, fight
ing in the defense of the Federal forts
Steadman and Haskell. and now in the
Years OF peace was preparing an account
of the bloody repulsc rs we saw il on the
northern side. and had called upon the
generous Georgian for some information
he had volunteered concerning his ma
neuvers. Grady had been a most atten-
tive listener while Gordon recouuted for
the hundredth time in his presence the
story of the famous sortie; how he had
gathered up in the gloom Of those closing
days the attenuated columns Of Stonewall
Jackson's once invincible corps; how
the women, headed by Mrs. Gordon. had
pinned strips Of muslin, the richest ma
terial they could command for badges, on
the breasts OF the men of each storming
phalanN, and with a Godspeed from Lee
and the sighs of the South following him.
he had pi!oted them in the darkness 10 the
muzzles of our guns, hoping by feats of
unparalleled valor to break the grip of
OAR army upon Petersburg and Richmond
and win a new lease Of life for the pent up
and expiring Confederacy. Gordon's fol-
lowers were left in our trenches, the most
of them, and he himself was borne back
10 Lees lines wounded. Grady is about
as near being a monomaniac on the sub
1ect of that last assault of Lee, made by
Gordon, as il is possit e for a level headed
man to be on a subject where his heart is
This abe southern leader is
only about 80, while his friend Gordon is
over 80. Grady was lad of 10 in 1865,
and his father fought with Gordon; he
fought long and well in this forlorn
struggle ut Fort Steadman, and he fell
there. but his fate could never he clearly
told by the Southern survivors.
After Gordon had been summoned on
urgent business from our interview, Editor
Grady pressed ME To continue with tine
details rs seen from the northern side. l
did SO. and il transpired that his interest
turned upon a strange incident, and the
one which led up 10 the exclamation from
his lips with which this story opens. Said
l: ''One Of your men deserves a monu-
ment for bravery in that action, and 1
would subscribe for il as a menento to
American vaior. He was the bravest war
rior on either side whom l saw in battle
during the whole war. and he fell while
riding heroically at Fort Haskell's guns"
Did he ride a white horse," QuerieG
my listener, and with such deep attention
that l naturally dropped into details
Grady knew the plan of the battle and the
ground well. Gordon in the darkness had
made breach half mile wide in our
front line. and daylight found his men in
our trenches hedged about by our brist-
ling forts and batteries on each side of the
breach and our second line confronting
them. They had battled 10 get in, and
would need TO battle fiercely To remain or
even TO get back 10 their own lines. Forts
Steadman and Haskell had been garri-
soned all winter 10y my comrades of the
Fourteenth New York artillery. Fort
was now occupied by Gordon's
men, and 100 OF so Of us in Haskell had
three rified guns and a few score Of mus
kets playing upon the intruders. The
pathway back for Gordon's scattered men
was through Fort Steadman and across
-idge Of land for a few yards wide and
fairly exposed TO our fire. With a knowl-
,dge of these facts in the mind of my com
,anion | took up the events of the last act
n that tragic fight
when Gordon's soldiers, thwarted on
III sides. began to rally in FoJ Steadman
md straggle back over the ridge our chief
lrtillerist. Maj. Woerner, of the Third
lew Jersey battery, an expert gunner,
ook charge of the gun in our right for
81, .t.a,l
hat ridge. He began to pour schrapnel
md grape into the retreating ranks, and
vas doing terrible slaughter, when some
posted in our front began to
,epper the angle very lively. Woerner
tood to the gun nobly and called for a
platoon of riiemen to stand by him and
eturn the fire on the sharpshooters.
vas one of the rilemen 10 respond, and
lfter a few shots had been given Woerner
.ried out: ''Shoot the man on the white
,orse'' 4 rider on a white horse had
,een remarked during the fight moving
,ack and forth between Lees lines and
iordon's men III the breach. He had led
harmed life and escaped hundreds Of
hots aimed at his conspicuous figure.
The vehement call of Woerner was caused
" a new phase Of his fearless action. He
vas rallying the retreating men right un-
Ter Woerner'S range and was preparing TO
make one more charge to silence this
,iece and save the thousands whose
ives We're at our mercy. l sprang TO the
lnrle and drew bead on the bold rider.
Then appeared a sight such as implore the
ates never to reveal to me again. Those
,eaten and discomfited men, the sound
nd the stricken alike, were struggling
long one narrow pathway, where bullets,
,alls and shells poured into the helpless
mass with murderous effect. There, at
he end of my rifle, it seemed, were myri-
Ids of human legs, arms and bodies,
vrithing like n tangled swarm Of worms.
mpelleJ by the wild frenzy of despair at
he doom before them-wounds, or death,
II prison In the midst of il all there
oomed up on my vision this rider never
iincling: not even nodding when the
hell tore along. cutting swaths all around
lin. Nv head SWAN. Shoot, shoot him'
vas called out again and again. Once.
wicc. three times covered him, but my
nerves refused TO obey, for l couldn't pull
he trigger fired at random at the old
ines. sparinG the hero aal his helpless
comrades He is too brass TO die so,
leclared.
Grady followed my narrative with
,reathless interest, but l attributed it to
he natural pride of a southerner over the
ecords of chivalric deeds.
.'fhe intrepid rider passed on, followed
" a band of about 300, who had rallied
ourage to die for the salvation OF their
ellows. Three times that morning We
nd repulsed charges on Haskell. and the
round all Al Quad il was atrcwn with the
4plies of brave ASA lants. The leader
,pk these men back out Of range OF
s Toerner, formed three platoons "r com
,auies, and came on. I..uving against the
enter of the fort where ne had no gun at
work. Woerner kept pounding away at
he slope. and the riflamen again rallied
o meet this new assault. Other batteries
md troops hack on our second line out
ide We're now in position 10 fire on the
iank If this stcrming column, and every
cd of advance which they made toward
,ur fort cost them some victims. y
.avine divides the ground along which
hey Were advancing, and after crossing
m